HMS Prince of Wales crosses the Atlantic and begins developmental flying trials 23 Oct 2023 PHOTO ESSAY
https://www.navylookout.com/hms-prin...flying-trials/

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AFOTEC finalizes JSE accreditation 23 Oct 2023 Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center
https://www.afotec.af.mil/News/Artic...accreditation/
"KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- The Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center finalized accreditation of the Joint Simulation Environment. The last of the 64 missions were completed Sept. 21, allowing the Joint Strike Fighter Operational Test Team (JOTT) to complete F-35 Initial Operational Test and Evaluation.

“The event was truly a multinational success with Australian and United Kingdom members filling key leadership positions, said WGCDR Leigh Wrighton-Jones, with the Royal Australian Air Force, who serves as the JOTT’s F-35 IOT&E and JSE lead. “The imminent F-35 Follow-on Test & Evaluation agreement between the US, UK, and Australia will continue this level of collaboration.”

The JSE simulates a complex system of sensors and platforms within a virtual battlespace. It is a scalable, expandable, high-fidelity government-owned, non-proprietary modeling and simulation environment to conduct testing on fifth-plus generation aircraft and systems accreditable for test as a supplement to open-air testing...."

HMS Prince of Wales’ F-35 paves way for carrier strike ops 24 Oct 2023 Royal Navy
https://www.f35.com/f35/news-and-fea...-of-wales.html
"Fully loaded, the F-35B can deliver 22,000lb of destructive and defensive power: air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles and conventional and laser-guided bombs.... the specially-modified F-35B from the US Navy’s Integrated Test Force was loaded with a combination of inert 500lb Paveway IV laser-guided bombs and inert 1,000lb Paveways in the weapons bay.... To date, F-35s have been taking off from the 350ft marker on the deck (roughly in line with the end of the forward island). Depending on a whole host of factors (including weather, wind over the deck, humidity) a fully-loaded Lightning might need a full run-up to the ski jump to get airborne… which means starting all the way back at the 850ft marker… not too far from the rear end of the flight deck. It’s the first time a full run-up has been tested on either carrier. And it’s also the first time bombs (albeit inert, practice models) have been dropped by aircraft launched from HMS Prince of Wales.... Next up on the ship’s F-35 trials off the USA: rolling (rather than standard vertical) landings first without weapons still carried, then with."
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F-35s Make First Rolling Vertical Landings Onto HMS Prince of Wales 20 Oct 2023
https://aviationweek.com/defense-spa...s-prince-wales
"...The use of SRVL is forecast to give the F-35B a bring-back payload gain of around 2,000 lb., the equivalent of four Raytheon Paveway IV precision-guided bombs. The SRVL was proven on the Navy’s first carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth, during trials in 2018, but the latest tests are intended to pave the way for training in the technique to make it available to operational front-line pilots.

Also, the Prince of Wales is the only one of the two ships equipped with a gyro-stabilized version of the Bedford Array, a glidepath alignment cue that allows F-35 pilots to fly an accurate path to the ship’s deck. The F-35s also have performed the first launches and recoveries from the ship in the aircraft’s so-called “beast mode,” equipped with external stores. Such heavier loads require longer run-ups to the ship’s ski-jump....

...Royal Navy Capt. Richard Hewitt, the HMS Prince of Wales’ commanding officer. “During this phase of our deployment, we will see the jet develop advanced landing and takeoff techniques, allowing it to recover heavier, turn around faster and launch with more weapons,” Hewitt says"...."

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#Poland to launch loyal wingman procurement programme to add combat mass to future F-35 fleet. Currently evaluating options ahead of official programme launch - spox.

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​​​​​​​On subject of air dominance jets that #Poland is said to be in the market for, spox says there are funds for 2 more sqns (32 jets) for air force. Says might not be F-15 or Eurofighter (as reported), but could be more F-35/loyal wingmen/another type. With gov for decision.

Interesting that they are using full deck-length launches. One of the limiting factors for heavy-weight (high-speed) launches in the SHAR was nose-leg compression and the subsequent rapid extension at ramp exit. I guess this is the beauty of being able to design the gear to take the stresses of ramp launches from square one.

Mog

Just a few idle questions......US Carriers have four Cats.....and the British Carriers have a single Ramp.

If launching a large number of aircraft....how does the launch rates compare between the two designs?

Does the RN Carrier have a Blast Deflector similar to the US Carriers?

No JBD on UK carriers..

Luckily we don’t have a large number of aircraft to launch so it’s not a problem!

A single JBD fixed in place was deemed ineffective and limiting the flexibility of launches in various launch conditions. JPG via e-mail. :}

Preparing for take-off: UK ramps up JSF carrier integration effort 11 Dec 2008 Richard Scott International Defence Review

"...In the final analysis, the decision has been taken to delete the JBD from the STOVL CVF design. Cdr Lison explains: “We determined from the CFD modelling that the legacy JBD did not offer adequate protection. Alternative designs were considered which offered some benefit, but two considerations persuaded us to delete the requirement.

“First, the nozzle scheduling of the F-35B on take-off has yet to be fully established, and there was a risk that the jet blast would simply ‘bounce’ over the JBD. Second, the JBD was in a single fixed position on the flight deck, so there was no flexibility with regard to the length of the take-off run.”..."

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Royal Netherlands Air Force F-35As cleared to take over NATO Nuclear Sharing role with US B61-12 from the F-16Cs

Well there is no possibility of simultaneous launch from bow and waist:). However, I understand two aircraft can be ready to launch with the second having a longer take off roll, no attaching to the cat and returning the carriage, no up and down of the JBD.

I'd be interested to know if the USMC tried surge launching when they had 20 'Bs on the USS Tripoli last year, with no ramp so presumably a longer take off roll - however may be not significant given the 550 ft quoted for a USMC STOVL mission (2 x 1K JDAM, 2 x AIM-120), I have seen video of a launch from the 350 mark on QNLZ but don't know the load.

Theoretically in ideal conditions with no failed launches a USN CVN could launch 90 aircraft in 20 minutes. However, that may not be the right comparison. The Nimitz class has demonstrated a capacity to sustain (over 30 days) a rate of 120 sorties per (12 hr) day, for the Ford class target is 160 sustained with 270 surge but that has been seen as unrealistic by at least one senior program member. The QE class's target is 420 sorties over five days with a max of 110 per day.

Don't forget the hundreds of extra crew needed by the USN vessels to operate, maintain and repair the cats and traps. If they go u/s there can be no flying at all.

We are in a new era of nuke signaling in Europe! ☢️

With photo of US F-35 with two B61-12 nuke bombs, head of Dutch Air Combat Command says Dutch F-35s passed initial certification for nuke mission. 👀

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Real Nukes or Dummies painted nicely?

Does it matter?

Nice story, but they are not B61 nukes. They're GBU-31

The USN is getting ready to contract with Lockheed Martin for design & dev. studies, technology demonstrations & engineering services for rapid tech development & modifications to the JASSM, LRASM, JAGM & HF missiles and for their integration on the F35.


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F-35, HMS Prince of Wales flight trials yield data for future operational capability 09 Nov 2023
https://www.dvidshub.net/news/457531...nal-capability
"WESTERN ATLANTIC OCEAN (Nov. 9, 2023) — A third phase of F-35 Lightning II developmental test (DT-3) flight trials aboard U.K. Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers concluded over the weekend when two short takeoff vertical landing (STOVL) test jets launched from the HMS Prince of Wales (R09) ski jump following almost four weeks of flight test off the Eastern Seaboard of the United States....

...During October and early November, three test pilots flying two specially instrumented F-35B aircraft performed close to 150 short takeoffs (STOs), approximately four score vertical landings (VLs), and almost 60 shipborne rolling vertical landings (SRVLs), while PAX ITF flight test engineers collected data, compared it to models, and made initial analyses....

...“The integration of our teams to realize approximately 150 test points of the F-35B program will potentially increase the way the U.K can operate the F-35,” said Royal Navy Lt. Cdr. Jamie Elliott, Air Engineering Department Head. “SRVL, night SRVL, and heavy load (bombs) test points yielded data that will inform any future decisions about the possible F-35B operational clearance to take off and land heavier, operate in heavier sea states, and turn the jets around faster for more sorties.”...

...Marine Maj. Alex Horne, F-35 test pilot, PAX ITF. [said] “Witnessing firsthand the interoperability of the F-35 and the carrier in taxing conditions ranging from high deck motion to high winds over deck, and from maximum weight launches to night operations will be a lasting memory credited to the dedicated men and women embarked for this trial.”..."

​​​​​​​A moot point, as the British carriers don't carry a large number of aircraft.